'Hangover-Free' Alcohol Could Be On The Horizon

Kiss those headaches goodbye.

Undoubtably, the worst part of an alcohol-filled night out is the nausea and headaches that follow the next day.

But all that could be set to change as hangover-fee alcohol could replace traditional booze by 2050.

The new drink, called alcosynth, has been developed by Professor David Nutt from Imperial College London.

The former government drugs advisor has patented around 90 different alcosynth compounds, two of which are now being tested for widespread use.

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Alcosynth mimics the effects of regular alcohol by making drinkers feel tipsy and more chatty, but according to its creator, the drink doesn’t cause any form of hangover.

Previous reports into the development of alcosynth suggested the drink contained benzodiazepine, a sedative commonly used in medication for sleeping problems and anxiety.

But speaking to The Independent, Professor Nutt confirmed his two latest compounds do not contain benzodiazepine. However, he declined to expand on the details of his new, patented formula.

He hopes the drink will soon be in pubs and bars and believes it could be used to replace the alcohol in some of the nation’s favourite cocktails.

“It will be there alongside the scotch and the gin, they’ll dispense the alcosynth into your cocktail and then you’ll have the pleasure without damaging your liver and your heart,” he added.

“They go very nicely into mojitos. They even go into something as clear as a Tom Collins. One is pretty tasteless, the other has a bitter taste.”

Professor Nutt has seen his fare share of controversy in the past. In 2009 he was sacked as the government’s drugs tsar after claiming taking ecstasy was less dangerous than riding a horse. But he’s confident he’s onto a winner with his product.

“People want healthier drinks. The drinks industry knows that by 2050 alcohol will be gone,” he said.

Despite this, Sam Bowman, executive director of the think tank the Adam Smith Institute, said government regulation may prevent the new product hitting supermarket shelves.

“Regulation must be flexible and encouraging of new products that are safer than the vices they’re competing with.

“Britain can be a world leader in safe alternatives to alcohol and cigarettes, but we need regulation that foster those things instead of stamping them out.”

Speaking to The Huffington Post UK, Andrew Misell, from the charity Alcohol Concern, said he has reservations about the widespread use of alcosynth.

“These sorts of developments are always interesting, but this work is very much on the fringes of alcohol research at the moment,” he said.

“The more pressuring issue is the one of our relationship with alcohol right now – why drinking is such a dominant part of so much of our social lives, and why so many of us rely on it to relax, celebrate and commiserate.

“I think that there will be worries too that if we create a means to become drunk without negative physical effects, intoxication may simply become more normal and more acceptable. It’s the prospect of a nasty hangover that makes many of us limit our drinking.”

Meanwhile John Larsen, director of evidence and impact at Drinkaware, offered his advice on consuming regular alcohol without suffering from a hangover the next day.

“The only way to avoid a hangover completely is to drink less,” he said.

“If you are drinking large quantities of alcohol in one session, there is no way to avoid a hangover completely.

“The ethanol in alcohol is a diuretic which causes you to dehydrate, so one of the best ways to ease your symptoms is to rehydrate with water and fresh fruit juice. It will also help to eat potassium rich foods, such as bananas or kiwis.”